Mount Hood

Let’s get this bread: hopping on the bread making train

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

A trend that has been circling around on various social media platforms is bread baking. According to cnn.com, it’s possible that people are using it to help preoccupy themselves during this time of social distancing. As a result, minds are occupied and stomachs are full; for those who have been thinking of hopping on the bread-making train, here’s a recipe to try at home.

 

HOMEMADE BREAD

Start to finish: 4 hours

Servings: 2 loaves (16 slices each)

1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast

2 ¼ cups of warm water (110° to 115°F)

3 tablespoons and ½ teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons canola oil

6 ¼ to 6 ¾ cups of bread flour

 

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let it stand until bubbles form on the surface. Whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir oil into yeast mixture. Pour into flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in 2 greased 9×5-inch loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Bake at 375° F until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200°F, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks for cooling.

 

Recipe from tasteofhome.com

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Rylie Horrall

How to un-mess your messy hair

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

If you’re like me, self-isolation could be making students ponder changing their hair more than normal — personally, I’m only one breakdown away from dying my hair. However, I don’t actually want to dye my hair, I just want something different or new in my life amidst all this monotony. To cope with this, I’ve been searching and trying out new hairstyles; here are some of the interesting ones.

For turning straight hair curly without using heat, take either a bathrobe rope, socks, pantyhose or something similar and clip it into the hair. Wrap strands of damp hair around the article tightly, but not painfully so, in a criss-cross fashion. For waves, braid the object in the hair as if it was a section of hair. Leave it in overnight, undo it in the morning and brush it out.

Buns are a quick hairdo that can be done within seconds — it’s my go-to whenever I need my hair off of my neck. If someone’s hair is longer, there’s the option of doing a braided bun; to start off, tie the hair into a low ponytail. Braid it loosely and tie off the end, pulling at some of the strands to add volume. Take the braid and wrap it around the base like a bun, and secure any loose ends with bobby pins.

Have shorter hair and can’t fit it all into a ponytail, let alone a bun? Take half of the hair and pull it towards the top, like a high ponytail. Lace the hair halfway through a hair tie with one hand, then twist it while holding the hair in the other. Pull the hair through, then pull and twist to style as desired.

For those who want to keep their hair down and out of their face, try making a headband using hair. Separate two front pieces and tie the rest into a ponytail or bun to keep out of the way. Take the two front strands and secure them at the nape of the neck with a small elastic or thin hair tie, then let the rest of the hair down. To add some flare, braid the strands or twist them before tying them off.

If styling isn’t preferred or a person’s hair is too short, get a bandana that might be lying around and fold it diagonally. Section off two framing strands — or don’t, if they aren’t wanted — and put the rest of the hair in a ponytail, if it’s long enough. Grab the ends of the bandana and flip it so that it lays flat behind the strands. Tie the ends of it at the nape of the neck and then take out the hair from the ponytail. Alternatively, the bandana can be placed at the back of the neck and be tied at the top near the framing pieces. If this is done, tuck in the corners of the fabric that are sticking out.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Rylie Horrall

Nature’s way of Recycling

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Compost is made up of decayed or decaying organic material and could be compared to nature-style recycling. According to lessismore.org, food and yard waste make up between 25 to 50% of trash that is thrown away. Because it can make up such a large portion of garbage, composting can significantly reduce the amount of overall trash someone procures.

Most, if not all, organic matter that is thrown away in the kitchen or garden can be composted. For instance, coffee grounds and even paper filters can be put into a compost bin, along with tea bags, old newspapers, toothpicks, matches, pet and human hair, cut flowers and egg shells — but not the yolks or whites. 

Goodhousekeeping.com states that when composting, one should “aim for equal amounts of ‘green’ waste and ‘brown’ waste to keep (compost) healthy.” Fruits and vegetables are common ‘green’ waste — or anything that can supply nitrogen — and ‘brown’ waste can consist of dry leaves and wood shavings — things that are rich in carbon. If both elements are balanced correctly, it should smell like earthy dirt; making sure that the compost bin is somewhere where it can receive enough oxygen and moisture will keep it from turning rotten.

It’s important to note that if a plant is infected with insects or a disease of some sort, it shouldn’t be added into the compost. According to goodhousekeeping.com, it can contaminate the pile and render it useless. Dairy and animal products such as bones should also just be thrown away, as the smell can become unpleasant or attract animals. 

Compost bins should be around 3 feet in diameter and ideally be placed outside, possibly in a backyard. It can have a closed top as well, for those who are worried about the smell or look of the compost. To prevent animals from messing with it, it’s advised to set up fencing or chicken wire around it. 

After a few weeks, all the scraps will turn to soil that can be used for fertilizing a garden, which reduces the need to buy fertilizer. Some added benefits are that both water and trash bills can be reduced, as the compost can be moist enough as fertilizer that plants can be watered less, and the amount of trash being thrown out is lessened. 

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Apps to make your college experience easier

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

In today’s day and age, most of everything can be easily accessed through our phones. Like most of society, I like to make my life easier by having an app on my phone when I need it and don’t have my laptop. Here’s some apps for anyone to make life easy-breezy for little problems.

There are many free music apps out there, but for college students who have Amazon Prime — thanks to the six-month free trial and reduced payment plan — they have free access to over two million songs and albums on-the-go through Amazon Music. In addition, Spotify connects its users to millions of their favorite artists ⏤ along with connections to streaming services ⏤ for a cheap bundle deal. Both are ideal for those that use music to study or just frequently in their lives.

Studying is typically a critical part of the college experience. Granted, it isn’t the most exciting experience, but can become easier with certain apps. For those enrolled in a foreign language course, Duolingo is a free app that can help with extra practice. Whether it’s reading, listening or speaking, it can help improve any of those skill sets. Another handy study app is Quizlet, which enables the user to either generate their own sets of flashcards for specific classes or find already created sets from other people. Furthermore, it provides various interactive ways of practicing the terms in study sets, such as a matching game and practice tests.

Continuing slightly with the study theme, there’s an app that lets students who don’t own a scanner or a printer turn their phone into a portable one. For iPhone users, there’s Scanner App, which allows the person to take a picture of their homework or assignment and instantly scan it into a PDF with ease. Android users have the app Tiny Scanner that provides the same results, it’s merely a different app for a different brand. Both can connect to Google Drive — or other application — to make uploading the file a breeze.

Any.do is an app that gives the user an easy way to organize the multitude of tasks that they have to take care of. It has a calendar, to-do list and reminder system for anyone that keeps themselves so busy that they need help keeping track of everything in their day-to-day life. It also has the option of sharing schedules and tasks with others — whether it’s letting roommates know what their new schedule is for the term or sharing a work schedule with friends when trying to plan a night out.

Mathway is a dual calculator-equation solver that works as a tutor inside of a phone. If a student is struggling with understanding a math concept, the app will give out a step-by-step process of how the equation works once it’s inputted. It’s a great solution as well for those who need to double check the validity of their answers.

For anyone that struggles with keeping track of their finances, Mint works as a budgeting app so the person knows where they’re spending their money. It can give reminders for when bills are due or coming up so the user isn’t hit with an unexpected withdrawal from their account, and can even keep track of a credit score for those that have a credit card. Venmo is another option that lets people see who they sent money to, what for and when. By letting someone label their payment, it makes for trouble-free navigation of various spending sprees.

Finally, Headspace is an option to help with sleep and stress by providing assorted guided meditations and mindfulness techniques. It gives someone different exercises to manage stress when classes, work and relationships become too much to handle in order to benefit their health. If someone is having trouble sleeping, it also gives sleepcasts, mellow music and miscellaneous ways to help wind down the mind and body.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Kay Bruley

Sweet smoothie recipes

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Smoothies are one of my favorite drinks — or is it considered food? They are great because there are multiple combinations to be made, not to mention they’re healthy. During this quarantine, smoothies can be an easy treat to make and alter, if there’s extra fruit lying around. Here are the basic steps to making a smoothie, along with some fruity combinations to try.

First, grab a blender. Then grab whatever fruit that will be used for the smoothie. Dice all of the fruit up into smaller chunks — they don’t have to be extremely small, just littler pieces than the whole fruit to help with blending.

Once the fruit is diced, add them to the blender along with a couple handfuls of ice cubes. Before blending, make sure the lid is secure to avoid a mess. Blend everything together — some blenders have ‘smoothie’ options, but I personally use the ‘puree’ mode. Adding liquid, such as juice or milk, can make the blending process easier and add more flavor.

There are also other things that can be added to smoothies other than fruits; sometimes I throw in vegetables like spinach and carrots to add extra vitamins. Other add-ins could be coconut, yogurt, flax, chia seeds or honey.

Once finished, pour into a cup — or make a smoothie bowl, if preferred — and enjoy.

 

 

COMBINATIONS:

  • Strawberry, banana, peach
  • Raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry
  • Orange, banana, pineapple, coconut
  • Mango, pineapple, peach, apple
  • Peach, strawberry, mango
  • Raspberry, strawberry, kiwi
  • Peach, coconut, mango
  • Pineapple, strawberry, orange

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Rylie Horrall

How to relieve tension from sitting too long

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Many students may find themselves working for long periods at a desk or table. With our current pandemic, some may note that they’re sitting even longer than normal. While sitting at a table or a desk may be better than working on a bed — according to info.achs.edu, it can decrease productivity due to less space to organize study materials — staying there for long periods can cause the body to ache or become stiff. However, this can be combated by stretching in various ways.

An easy one I always do is a ‘one armed hug’; reach one arm across the body and place it on the opposite shoulder, then use the other arm to push back on the elbow. Another way to do it is to extend the arm out instead of placing it on the opposite shoulder, so it’s draped across the chest. 

A stretch I generally pair with the previous is one that I usually call an ‘up-and-over’ stretch. It’s done by putting one arm up and bending it back so the underside of the arm is facing the back of the head. Like the stretch before, use the opposite arm to push the elbow back, which will stretch the triceps.

To stretch the lower back, there’s a few options to help with stiffness and pain. There’s back extensions, which can be done a couple different ways — with palms placed flat against the lower back and then leaning back, or by interlocking hands above the head with palms facing the ceiling and pushing upwards. Both of these can be done while standing as well. Another option is a seated twist; by crossing one leg over the other then twisting the body towards the leg on top, this will stretch, and maybe pop, the lower back. Variations include crossing the arms over the chest, or using the arm of the chair to pull into a deeper stretch

For the legs, try sitting in an upright position and straightening the legs, then folding the body towards the toes. When I do this stretch, I like to try and touch my toes with my fingertips for a deeper stretch to my hamstrings. An important thing to keep in mind with this one is to keep the back as straight as possible.

There are some simple things that can be done while continuing to work or study. For instance, rotating the neck in a circle or even just tilting the head from side to side and front to back is an easy way to relieve neck pain caused by looking down for too long. Shrugging the shoulders and rolling them back can alleviate stiffness, and rotating the wrists in a circle counter-clockwise and then clockwise will help with pain.

An important thing to note is to pay attention to posture and to sit with the chair close to the desk or table to keep from hunching over. Sit back in the seat, and, if possible, try to keep a computer level with the eyes.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

From in person classes to Zoom meetings

Rylie Horrall |  Lifestyle Editor

Like most universities in Oregon, Western has switched to having entirely remote classes for spring term. Unlike having only one or two online classes during a term, having to manage all courses online is a challenge for both students and professors. Sure, maybe there’s more time to get homework and assignments done, but is there really? For me, being at home 24/7 can make it difficult to get everything done, so here are a few tips to help with managing an online class schedule.

With no reason to commute to campus, students have an opportunity to sleep in more. But now, there’s the risk of literally sleeping through classes. Set alarms to, one, give enough time to make some coffee and eat breakfast — or lunch, depending on the time — and two, make sure those Zoom and WebEx meetings aren’t forgotten about. 

For some courses, professors have chosen to only hold meetings once a week or even every other week. This can further lead to overlooking the gathering dates, if a person isn’t careful. Mark the days on a calendar when a class assembles; if this is done on a phone calendar, it will send you updates at set intervals, such as 15 minutes before the scheduled meeting. Additionally, this can be done for assignments and tests.

To keep up with assignments, put aside designated times where classes aren’t appointed for homework and studying. It’ll probably be easier for assignments that have a set due date each week, as the elected time can be the same each week as well. That being said, have some free time set aside for those projects that do not have a consistent schedule; if there isn’t more studying to do, then congrats — relaxation time begins early.

For students who are struggling with these online classes due to poor internet access or lack-there-of, Hamersly Library is offering WiFi hotspots to students on a first-come first-serve basis. To get on the list, visit library.wou.edu/hotspots-waitlist/ or look at the library’s website for more information.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

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